Chemical Peel: Stories

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Waste of Money

  • posted 1 year ago
  • updated 7 months ago
  • Not Worth It
  • Cost: $350
  • Portland, Oregon

I have mild acne but I scar badly. I have these...

I have mild acne but I scar badly. I have these dark red spots that take forever (years) to fade. I was hoping that the chemical peel would even my skin tone and help improve the health of my skin, thus reducing the number and severity of breakouts that I had. I had 2 sessions. The first was a Vitalize peel and the second was the Rejuvenize peel.

It didn't do a damn thing. My acne has gotten WORSE. I now have breakouts on areas of my face that I've never had before. It just makes me want to cry.

Great review?

My Doctor: name not provided

My rating:

Chemical peels may work for some people, but it really depends on the ailment you're trying to fix. My advice is for people with acne or acne scarring, don't waste your time or money with chemical peels. The peeling process is a pain in the a$$ and I even got a severe fever blister after the 2nd one that prevented me from leaving the house for 1 week. Not worth it!

Comments (5)

Try tretonin? It is available in both gel and creme formulations . It helps with both scarring. So if it causes your acne to worsen it will also help get rid of the scars once it has stopped causing your acne to flare up. Ask your derm about it.
  • Reply
I used retin-A and it was a pain in the @$$. It was not easy to apply. It was really thick and cakey. I don't have the tolerance for an increase in breakouts before a product starts working. It's also really expensive.

I underwent a series of laser treatments called "Cool Touch" or "Cool Breeze". It was almost entirely painless with absolutely no down time. It'll take 4-6 months before I see results, because that's how long it takes for new collagen to build. I'll write a review about that when the time comes, as it's only been 1 month so far since my last treatment.
  • Reply

Awe, I am sooo sorry to hear this. :( I suffer from mild to mod. acne too, so I know how much it sucks! Have you talked to your dermatologist about trying Retin-A? I use it, and honestly don't see much improvement in my acne from it, but several of my girlfriends say they do, so perhaps it would work well for you??

  • Reply
Thanks for your comment Megan. I did try Retin-A for about 1 week and it exacerbated my acne. I know they say wait 6 weeks before seeing improvement, but they also warn that skin gets worse before it get's better. I don't have tolerance for that. Because a breakout for me means a year-long scar, and that's not a small matter.

Also, the Retin-A cream is hard to apply because of the consistency and thickness. I will go to Key Laser Institute and undergo one of their mayriad of laser treatment options for acne and acne scarring. It sounds promising.
  • Reply

Oh yeah, I definitely understand not wanting to have things get worse if your scars last for a year!

I hope whichever treatment you try at Key Laser Institute works out really well for you. Would love to hear how it goes if/when you do it. :)

  • Reply

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